What’s Your Version of ‘Autosave?’…

In the old days, if your computer temporarily borked, you might have lost some important text if you didn’t recently save your work … I still compulsively click “Save” out of habit when I write and edit.

Luckily, if you’re working online today, such as in your WordPress website, the autosave feature frequently backs up your work-in-progress — making it not only a feature, but also a benefit.

Autosave is a “feature-benefit” that provides peace of mind, but it’s easy to forget about and take for granted.

Uncovering your business’s unique selling proposition (USP) can be tricky, because it’s often something you forget about and take for granted. It’s likely intertwined with your routine operations, so you might not immediately recognize it as exceptional.

Let’s start with this idea of a “feature-benefit” to help you pinpoint your USP.

One step beyond …

When describing your business, you’re naturally going to mention aspects that are also parts of your competitors’ businesses.

If you’re completely unique, there is probably only a small market for what you do. (To look on the bright side, it’s possible you’re ahead of your time.)

But anyone working within an established niche needs to stand out — there must be a reason why prospects should choose you over someone with a similar product or service.

To work on your USP today, brainstorm a feature-benefit of your business that is also special. It’s special because it’s something competitors can’t or won’t claim.

When prospects get to know your USP, they’ll think:

“I’m going to choose this business over a similar one because they ___.”

You take it one step beyond.

Convert someone looking for exactly what you do

Your USP will help convert someone looking for exactly what you do, so it’s vital that you make it explicit on your website and in your content marketing.

Remember to “show” rather than “tell.” If you can get testimonials that explain the details of your excellent product or service, those descriptions are useful for prospects.

When I see that a product or service has helped someone else with a similar problem, I’m intrigued to check it out more.

And when I discover that product or service has special benefits and features I haven’t seen elsewhere, I’m sold.